Sea-Tac security breach disrupts airport

SEATAC, Wash. (AP) — Officials at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport say a passenger entered a secure area through an exit lane Tuesday night, causing a security breach and prompting authorities to clear several concourses until the man was located.

Airport spokesman Perry Cooper says 1,000 to 1,500 passengers in the C and D concourses and central terminal had to be rescreened later through security checkpoints.

Port of Seattle police and Transportation Security Administration officials found the passenger at about 9 p.m. He was questioned and released. Cooper says the issue was a misunderstanding, "not anything of a security concern to passengers."

After the man was cleared, passengers began the rescreening process. Cooper says the checkpoint backup was cleared by about 10:30 p.m. He says airlines typically try to accommodate passengers caught in such a delay.